Former Toronto Maple Leafs star Bobby McMann has made some interesting admissions about his move to the Seattle Kraken. While Toronto has struggled during the 2025-26 season, the forward has experienced a career year. He has racked up 32 points in 60 games (.53 points per matchup) in the current campaign.
Because of his standout season, McMann is set to receive a substantial pay raise in the near future. The forward is currently in the final year of his $1.35 million AAV contract. NHL insider David Pagnotta previously claimed that McMann was seeking a new deal at around $5 million AAV. Toronto certainly had interest in extending the star, but not at that particular figure.
Due to the standoff, the Maple Leafs decided to trade McMann rather than watch him leave in the summer for free. In the deal, Seattle sent Toronto two draft picks, including a 2027 conditional second-round selection. The veteran, however, is still set to become a free agent after the 2025-26 season ends. He did not agree to an extension with the Kraken at the time of the move.
Despite the trade, McMann admits that he wanted to remain in Toronto. “I wanted to stay there a little bit longer. And that wasn’t happening,” the forward told The Athletic’s Joshua Kloke. McMann also claimed that he did not know contract extension talks were officially done with the Leafs until the morning of deadline day. In fact, he was not aware of the move until his agent called with the news at 3:05 PM (ET) that day. “People probably knew more online and on Twitter than I knew,” McMann continued.
Bobby McMann Suggests Toronto Maple Leafs can be Tough Team to Play for
GettyBobby McMann enjoyed his time playing for the Maple Leafs.
In the sprawling interview with Kloke, McMann also discussed the pressure of playing for the Maple Leafs. The reporter specifically asked the star if Toronto is a tough place to play. “Yeah, it can be,” McMann admitted after an initial pause. “When things aren’t going well, it’s that much harder to play there, I think. We’re all human, and I think all NHL players at times get put on a pedestal. Everybody lets things get to them to a certain extent, some more than others.”
The Maple Leafs are widely considered one of the most popular NHL teams. On top of a massive fanbase, Toronto seemingly has high expectations every season. The club has qualified for the playoffs each of the last nine campaigns. In fact, the last time that the Leafs missed the postseason was in 2016. The dismal season helped Toronto grab superstar Auston Matthews in the following draft that year.
Maple Leafs Hope Recent Trades Help Restock Prospect Pool
With the 2026 trade deadline in the past, McMann will now attempt to lead Seattle to a spot in the playoffs. The Kraken are currently hanging on to the eighth and final place in the Western Conference standings. McMann has yet to feature for his new team due to visa issues, but he is expected to hit the ice soon.
Toronto, on the other hand, sits 15th out of 16 Eastern Conference clubs after dropping eight consecutive games. Leafs fans will hope that the draft picks acquired in the McMann, Scott Laughton, and Nic Roy deals will help replenish a subpar prospect pool in the near future.
Former Maple Leafs Star Hints he was Left in the Dark About Trade